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Council gives consensus to pursue a 'no‑fill' amendment to the Florida Shores moratorium
Summary
After staff explained that the existing moratorium blocks additions of impervious surface across Florida Shores, councilmembers directed staff to draft an amendment limiting "fill" rather than all impervious additions; staff and the city attorney emphasized any exception would need a rational, data‑driven basis.
Council discussed amending the Florida Shores building‑permit moratorium, which currently bans any addition of impervious surface in the basin (fences, sheds, pools and driveways were cited as examples). Staff told the council the ordinance was written to avoid exacerbating flooding and that changing the rule to allow certain impervious features would require a rational engineering basis and supporting data: "I think there would need to be a rational basis for making, an exception ... there would need to be some scientific or engineering, basis for it in a finding that adding a fence simply will not contribute to flooding," the city attorney said.
Councilmembers and staff settled on a narrower approach: a moratorium amendment that would prohibit bringing in fill to raise lots ("no‑fill"), while allowing some structures that do not require fill or that can be elevated on pilings or blocks. The council gave consensus for the building department to draft an ordinance for Planning & Zoning and two council readings.
